Anyone who has lived or visited Surrey will know that it has some of the most beautiful countryside and landmarks in the UK, but few have experienced them from a hot air balloon. Adventure Balloons has been offering passenger balloon flights over Surrey for a number of years now and has launch sites in Guilford, Farnham and Godalming.

To ensure the safety of our passengers and pilot, the balloon launch site will be chosen on the day of the flight depending on the wind speed and direction; this is to keep the balloon from entering restricted air space around Heathrow and Gatwick airports, but wherever you fly from you will see the great sights Surrey has to offer.

Surrey claims to have the most trees than any other county in England and passengers can expect to see such sights as Alice Holt Forest, the Great Pond at Frensham, Farnham Castle and Guilford Cathedral as well as villages like Puttenham and Churt.

Established in 1985, Adventure Balloons has steadily grown its company and now has a fleet of hot air balloons flying throughout the Home Counties and London. A hot air balloon flight will be remembered for a life time and as our research suggests many of our customers come from personal recommendations.

Whether you’re on your own or in a group of up to 16 people, Adventure Balloons can cater for your needs and has two happy birthday balloons to celebrate that special day, as well as an exclusive two person balloon for when you want to experience it with a loved one (and the pilot of course!)

With flights throughout the South east of England including Surrey, Oxford, Hampshire, Kent and London there is a hot air balloon flight to suit anyone. Balloon flight vouchers can be purchases online or over the phone and you can check to see if the date and time you want is available by using the date availability page.

Cloudhoppers have become increasingly popular over the past few years and are primarily used by balloonists and hobbyists who want to experience the delights of ballooning without spending a fortune.

A cloudhopper is a term used to describe a solo balloon that has either a seat or harness for the pilot to sit in; they are often a lot smaller than passenger or commercial balloons and therefore can be launched with just one person, adding to their appeal.

As with standard hot air balloons, cloudhoppers use balloon burners and propane tanks to ascend into the sky, with the propane tanks situated behind the pilot thus leaving his sight unobstructed. The balloons seat or harness can normally rotate independently, making it easy to navigate and land.

Cloudhoppers and solo balloons are the cheapest way to get into ballooning and there are now various clubs all over the world who have regular balloon meets where you can meet like minded people and swap tips and techniques.

As the 2010 balloon season draws ever closer, it is time to build on the great 2009 balloon season enjoyed by Adventure Balloons. As one of the country’s top passenger balloon flight companies, Adventure Balloons operates throughout the South East of England, but has recently joined forces with Balloon Rides Ltd and now offer balloon flights over Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

As ballooning is very weather dependant, the balloon season is subject to change, but generally starts at the end of March in the Home Counties, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and the end of April for London balloon flights.

The balloon season will normally run till the beginning of November for the Home Counties, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, but can last longer if the ground conditions permit. London flights run till mid August due to air traffic restrictions.

Balloon flight vouchers start at £95 per person and can be purchased any time of the year; the voucher will be valid for 12 months from the date of purchase and you can book the date and time of your flight through our date availability page on our website.

Valentine’s Day will soon be here again and what better way to say I love you to someone special by booking a romantic champagne balloon flight. Each balloon flight voucher is valid for 12 months and includes the balloon flight experience with about an hour of flight time, a 20 page information pack and a certificate ceremony with champagne toast.

The whole balloon flight experience will last between 3 and 4 hours, including inflation and packing away of the balloon, an hour flight and certificate ceremony. Using Adventure Balloons date availability page means that you can check the availability of your chosen date so you can book the flight for the day that suits you best.

Balloon flight vouchers start at only £95 per person and offer breath taking views of the countryside and towns and cities; flight photography is also available so you can have a souvenir of your special day.

London is steeped in history with various historical landmarks and one of the best ways to see these is by taking our pioneering hot air balloon flight. With launch sites just a few miles from the River Thames and Tower of London, passengers can expect to see historical and modern landmarks of this great city.

Follow in the footsteps of ballooning pioneers who first flew over London over 200 years ago and capture great aerial photography from the comfort of the balloon basket.

As with every balloon flight, they require good weather to launch and due to the air traffic restrictions and the built up areas of London, these balloon flights are more susceptible to cancellation due to the wind speed and direction.

London balloon flights are available on weekday mornings from April to August and you will spend approximately 1 hour in the sky. Taking a London hot air balloon flight will give you a unique perspective on this spectacular city and will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Due to the improvements in balloon manufacture it is now easier than ever to own your own hot air balloon. Computer Aided Design (CAD) and computer controlled machines has made ballooning affordable and not just reserved for commercial use.

A hot air balloon can come in a range of sizes and colours from simple standard balloon styles to complex shapes used for advertising purposes. To make a hot air balloon the initial design is modelled on a computer to check that it will fit neatly together and that the customer is happy with it.

Once the design has been approved it is then transferred to the big cutting tables; these are controlled by a computer to ensure that all the pieces will fit together. The balloons shape is cut out of a special non-rip material consisting of nylon for the main body of the balloon and a material called Hyperlast for the top of the balloon.

The newly cut out pieces are then stitched together using specially designed sewing machines; these use a unique stitch which is very strong and durable and the whole balloon is sent to be tested before final assembly.

Once the balloon passes its final inspection it is fitted with the all the fixings for the balloon basket or harness if it is a one man/hopper balloon and sent to the customer for its first flight.

Giving some of the best views of the South Coast and Isle of Wight, Adventure Balloons South Hampshire balloon flights take off from launch sites in Alton, West Meon, Micheldever, Winchester and Popham and offer a great experience for our passengers.

It is important that the hot air balloon stays clear of Southampton Airport airspace and the Solent, so the launch site will be decided on the day of the flight depending on which way the wind is blowing and how fast.

During a balloon flight over South Hampshire passengers can expect to see landmarks such as Winchester Cathedral and Popham airfield, as well as small towns and villages like Candovers, Whitchurch and Laverstoke and of course the beautiful South Hampshire countryside.

With hot air balloon flights starting from just £85, now has never been a better time to order yours!

Balloon Rides Ltd has joined forces with Adventure Balloons to provide customers with even more locations to take their hot air balloon flights from. Customers can now choose to fly from all over the South East of England as well as locations in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Yorkshire balloon flights take off from either York Racecourse or from the banks of the River Ouse and offer passengers a great view of the historic city of York including landmarks such as the magnificent York Minster and the National Railway Museum.

Lincolnshire launch sites include sites near Grantham, Rutland Water and Stamford and give passengers a great view of historical attractions, town and villages that cover the Lincolnshire countryside.

So, whether you want to fly over London or Oxford, or fancy a hot air balloon flight over Yorkshire or Lincolnshire you can with Adventure Balloons and Balloon Rides Ltd.

Treat someone special to a great gift for their birthday but giving them a flight in one of our Happy Birthday hot air balloons. Adventure Balloons has the UK’s only ‘Happy Birthday’ embossed balloons and can cater for exclusive groups of 2-4 people right up to our new 16 passenger happy birthday balloon.

As with all of our hot air balloon flights, the happy birthday balloon experience lasts between 3-4 hours including an hour of flight, inflating and packing away the balloon and certificate ceremony and champagne toast. Passengers can assist with the inflation and packing away of the balloon if they want and spectators are always welcome to watch the balloon launch.

Unfortunately this service is not available for our Kent, Essex or Sussex flights yet, but all other areas can be catered for. Contact us today to see if our happy birthday balloon is available for the date you want.